


Familiarity

by clawful_good



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Pre-Timeskip Crimson Flower, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Scars, Set Before Canon, if edelgard had seen dorothea before the academy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:21:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25454572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clawful_good/pseuds/clawful_good
Summary: After an entire lifetime of attending noble parties and functions that had everyone clamoring for her attention, Edelgard had learned how to identify insincerity when it was presented to her, even if it was hidden behind flowery words and gifts. So when the pretty girl in front of her gave her a compliment and expressed concern for her uniform, Edelgard could almost taste the sting of disdain in her voice—though she admitted the girl hid it well.In which the star diva of the Mittelfrank Opera House dredges up memories and pieces of the past to connect with the princess and heir apparent of the Adrestian Empire.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg
Comments: 6
Kudos: 71





	Familiarity

**Author's Note:**

> the things i do for edelthea...having ten tabs open of dorothea and edelgard's various supports from the datamine and both their wiki pages open and their supports playing in the ground to get their voices in my head...no im not okay

Before Edelgard had gone to Garreg-Mach, she had been given a copy of the student roster from Hubert. She had nonchalantly brought it up to him once after an Imperial council, saying that she wanted to see the names of her future classmates sooner rather than later. Merely a day after, she was shocked to see a full list of every single student planning to attend the academy that year on her desk. When Edelgard had asked Hubert how the list was procured, she was met with his usual dark chuckle and—much to Edelgard's disconcertment—a vague explanation involving poison. That night, she had spent her time going through the list, considering who could be recruited as potential allies and who she would have to try to avoid. There were several names that she recognized and had already known would be attending the academy with her. Names like Ferdinand von Aegir—the son of Duke Aegir and self-appointed rival—and Caspar von Bergliez, the son of the Minister of Military Affairs. She went through the list as quickly as she could, deciding to save the majority of her judgments for when she actually met her classmates. As she was skimming through the list, one name halfway down the parchment caught her eye.

"Dorothea Arnault...." she muttered to herself, her brow creasing.

Where had she heard that name before? She read the name again, her confusion building. The name felt comfortable in her mouth, her lips curling naturally as if she had said this name many times before. It pulled up memories of bright lights, the smell of heavy perfume, and the feeling of wonder along with it. The name was...familiar. The descriptions for the students on the document were disappointingly bare, and the only details given about the students were their gender and age. She wracked her brain, thinking of someone matching the description of an 18 year old girl with the name Dorothea. She ran through the names of all the various nobles she knew; none of them matching the name Arnault. She tried to remember all the girls that she had been introduced to by her father; still nothing. The most confusing part about it was the familiarity of the name. Edelgard became increasingly frustrated—the sensation was much like holding cupped water in her hands. The more she tried to glean from her memories, the more the details slipped right out of her grasp. The name would’ve kept her awake for longer, but the flicker of her sputtering candle told her that she should go to sleep. Blowing out her candle, she decided to put aside the name for now—she had more important things to worry about.

When she had first entered the monastery, Edelgard had been wary. Wary of the archbishop, of the unfamiliar faces, of losing control in such a potentially volatile environment. So, when she found out that she had been assigned to cooking duty the first day, she was pleasantly surprised. She may not have had much experience cooking, but this way she could at least ensure that her first meal at the academy wasn't laced with poison. Hubert had scoffed when Edelgard told him—saying that "such a menial task was not befitting of someone in her position". Edelgard preferred it this way, however. The special treatment she received as the princess annoyed more than it benefited her, and she was glad to be able to contribute. The first day of that week, she went promptly to the dining hall, seeking further instruction. She had barely step foot into the doorway before her eyes settled onto something she had never expected.

The kitchen was a complete mess, with ingredients and packages opened with their contents strewn haphazardly across the floor. A cat sat on the ground lapping at a puddle of spilled water, and from the looks of it, there were bound to be more to come to clean up the mess. There was only one person there, holding a bucket of water and desperately trying to put out a crackling fire. In front of the smoking stove stood a girl, bearing a hat the color of ink and perfectly curled waves of brown hair, pulled back into a tail. She was facing away from Edelgard and was fretting over the stove, muttering under her breath.

"Damn it, I thought I could handle this by myself. No use fretting over it, I guess..."

She let out another string of curses under her breath, using a rag to wipe off the counter. Pushing her initial astonishment aside, Edelgard stepped forward and cleared her throat.

"May I be of assistance?"

The girl whipped her head around, her eyes widening and hands stilling.

"Is... are you Edelgard? I saw 'Hresvelg' and didn't actually expect you to..."

The girl eyes roved over Edelgard's uniform, taking in her red cape and royal pin. She straightened and schooled her features into a smile, making a sound halfway between a choke and a laugh.

"Don't mind me, I'm just a little frazzled. I can handle this on my own, don't you worry your cute self. Wouldn't want to get that imperial uniform all dirty, now would we?"

After an entire lifetime of attending noble parties and functions that had everyone clamoring for her attention, Edelgard had learned how to identify insincerity when it was presented to her; even if it was hidden behind flowery words and gifts. So when the pretty girl in front of her gave her a compliment and expressed concern for her uniform, Edelgard could almost taste the disdain in her voice—though she admitted the girl hid it well.

"Everyone else completes their work, and when I have been given a task, I will too. I don't want any special treatment. Here at Garreg-Mach, I must do my part as a member of the team."

Edelgard stepped forward and grabbed another rag, helping wipe the remaining bits of food off the counter.

"May I ask what happened here?" Edelgard watched as the girl swallowed and her eyes widened ever so slightly. "I was told I would receive further instruction when I got here, and that there would be a staff member helping us with our task."

The girl's eyes flickered away and she cleared her throat. "I saw a cat and got a little distracted and well, it turns out they were tag teaming and another one got into the food. Funny, right?" She sang out a laugh, each sound effortlessly stringing into the next. "And yes, there would be someone guiding us normally. But, well, I might've told them that I could take care of everything by myself and that they could go take the day off..."

She slid a piece of parchment toward Edelgard, tucking a lock of wayward hair behind her ear. "That was before I found out we were supposed to cook fish, though. Fish isn't really...in my area of expertise.''

"It matters not. We shall do it together." Edelgard picked up the paper, curious.

At the top was a line of text in bold, labelled "Daily Tasks". Below it were the various chores and the names of the students assigned to them. Under the words "Cooking Duty" were three names—Raimi, Irene. Hresvelg, Edelgard. Arnault, Dorothea.

Edelgard's eyes widened. Her eyes darted from the paper to Dorothea, back and forth, as if to confirm she was really here. It was _her_. The name that she had recognized, that had kept her up that night. Edelgard lifted her eyes from the paper, studying the girl in front of her. She was humming to herself quietly and sweeping up the remains of a broken bowl on the ground, seemingly much more relaxed than a minute ago. Edelgard hadn't noticed it before, but she was wearing gold earrings that clinked cheerfully and a ring the same shade of green as her eyes. The Imperial Princess didn't care much for jewelry—the only accessory she wore were her gloves, and it was more to stop the curious stares she got more than anything else—but having lived in the capital, she knew second hand jewelry when she saw it. This observation only served to heighten her confusion. Why would she have recognized such a name, and felt such a big impression from it if the person bearing it was not of noble birth? The names that she knew now had been learned from her training as a princess, and her own studying of the noble families. Why was this seemingly ordinary commoner girl, who was currently cooing over another cat who had wandered over, so familiar to her?

Swallowing her irritation at her own inability to remember, she continued down the paper. Scrawled in loopy cursive under the words "Dish Scheduled" were "Super-Spicy Fish Dango: A light snack, popular in the Empire. Small, spicy balls of fried dough packed with white trout and dried tomato." Edelgard's stomach turned.

On Edelgard's eighth birthday, her father had thrown her a party. Adrestia celebrated for an entire week, her brothers and sisters right beside her. Most all of the nobles had been invited to her party, and an entire masquerade ball had been held. Edelgard got to eat all the sweets she wanted without being chastised by her father, and she got to go to the ball as an eagle in a costume made of the softest fabric she had ever worn. At the end of it all, Edelgard wanted to open her presents, only to discover that they weren't anywhere to be found. When she asked her father about this, he gave her a tight-lipped smile and simply said that he wanted to sort out the best gifts for her to open first.

Later, Edelgard realized that they were all taken to be vetted by staff to make sure she didn't get poisoned.

On Edelgard's ninth birthday, she was taken to the beach on a vacation. It was the first time Edelgard had been taken to the seaside and she had been ecstatic when her father told her—she had wanted to see the ocean for as long as she could remember. On the carriage ride there, the sea was bright and the clearest blue she had ever seen. When her family arrived, they first went to eat dinner at The Myrmidon's Dance—a seafood restaurant that had been recommended to the royal family by Count Varley. They ordered a little bit of everything; from two-fish saute, to fried crayfish, to the house special which was their spicy-fish dango. Edelgard stuffed herself silly that night, and went to sleep content and looking forward to swimming for the first time tomorrow.

She woke up the next morning with her stomach roiling and bile stinging the back of her throat. Instead of the sun on her face and sand beneath her feet, Edelgard spent the day hunched over a chamberpot, emptying out the contents of last nights dinner and her head spinning.

On the carriage ride home, the sea was pitch black and stormy. At the castle, Edelgard had tossed and turned and willed sleep to come, but it evaded her grasp. She sneaked out of her room in search of her mother's comfort, but paused outside the door when she heard angry whispers.

"Anselma, calm yourself. This won't happen again." Edelgard's father's voice was strained, shaky.

"You want me to be calm? Right after I saw my child almost die from a piece of poisoned fish?" Her mother's voice just barely above a whisper, angry and frustrated.

"We don't know for sure if it was poisoned, my love."

"Really, now? The chef just happened to spill an entire bottle of toxin into the fish and claim that it was the spices?"

It was at this point that Edelgard had started walking away back to her room—she had heard enough. At nine years of age, Edelgard had learned that she had made enemies the moment she was born. 

Less than a year later, she was taken to Faerghus by her uncle. She returned to the Empire a few years later, only to discover that her mother was gone—her father's power stripped from him and a shell of what he use to be.

On her eleventh birthday, Edelgard and her siblings were taken by Those Who Slither in the Dark, and the last of her innocence along with them. 

Edelgard was startled out of her thoughts by a tap on her shoulder. Dorothea was looking straight into her eyes, her mouth twisted in concern. 

"You've been staring at that paper for the past few minutes. Is everything okay?" 

Much to Edelgard's surprise, she detected genuine worry in her voice. Where had all that disdain from earlier gone to?

She pushed her memories away, putting down the parchment. 

"No need to worry. I was just wondering if we're still going to be able to make this... spicy fish dango. The cats got to our supply of the fish, and it doesn't look like there are any more that were caught today." 

Dorothea nodded thoughtfully, tapping her finger on her chin. "We could serve a smaller dish with just these vegetables, but I'm not sure if that'll be enough for everyone. I did see some fruit and flour in the cupboard, though. We could... Hmmm... Oh! We could make saghert and cream! It's a dessert with some Noa fruit and a currant reduction! I've never made a reduction before, but I'm sure with a noble such as you here, it'll all be fine!" 

There it was again. Just a touch of bitter contempt behind her words. Edelgard was glad for the suggestion, however. She had learned the bare minimum of how to bake when she had visited Faerghus, and it certainly helped her sweet tooth. She nodded in agreement to her idea, opening the cupboard she had pointed out and taking out the flour. "We will finish this, together."

The two of them spent the next hour or so cooking dinner, measuring and mixing and tasting all along the way. Dorothea had spent the entire time laughing off their mistakes and humming to herself casually. Edelgard had opened the oven to take the finished confection out when she heard Dorothea singing a familiar tune to herself under her breath.

"How the crimson rain of pain it came, falling hard upon a land aflame. When the sacred blade it split the sky, until the heavens heard our cry... In the hour of vengeance, will you heed the call? On the red fields of revenge, will you help avenge? We must fight strong and stand tall!" 

It was the same memory. The one with warm lights, flowery perfume, and the babble of excited, anticipated voices. This time however, with a dance that Edelgard vaguely recalled involving swords and a fast paced two-step. It was strange, how Dorothea seemed to be connected to so many pieces of her past, yet Edelgard couldn't remember why at all. 

Edelgard was snapped out of her speculation when the air was pierced by a sharp gasp from Dorothea. 

"Edelgard, your glove's on fire!"

Edelgard looked down to her hand where indeed, small flames were licking at the pristine white of her satin glove. It took her half a second to register what she was seeing before she ripped the glove off, biting back a hiss of pain as the fabric pulled at her skin. She held up her hand, examining the damage done, and Dorothea rushed over, her hands fretting. 

"Oh, Edelgard, are you alright? What happened? Was the oven too hot? Or did I..." She trailed off, and Edelgard looked up. She was looking at her hands. At the long white scars, marking Edelgard's palm in precise rows, each one lined up carefully along her fingers. The ruddy pink of the fresh burn only served to highlight the white of the scars. Edelgard watched as Dorothea's eyes darted to hers, and swallow. Then, with the most gentle voice she had ever heard Dorothea use, she said;

"Let's get you to the infirmary, okay?"

The rest of the week passed by rather uneventfully, and the opportunities that Edelgard got to talk to Dorothea were few and far between. They barely had time to exchange greetings before Dorothea was called over by someone else, or Edelgard was taken away by Hubert. It wasn't until Edelgard's eleventh day at Garreg-Mach that the nightmares came back. It was nothing new—her older brother, face frozen into a twist of agony, her older sister's strangled cries for help—but somehow the nightmares managed to shake her every single time without fail. The dream had started out well enough, with her consciousness dredging up a memory of a late night she had spent on the roof with all her siblings, pointing out their favorite stars and snickering to themselves when they sneaked out of their rooms. Their laughs had quickly turned into manic screams, and Edelgard had been startled awake, her face wet and the sting of iron in her mouth. 

She shoved her heavy red duvet aside, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Steadying her breathing, she blinked away the rest of the tears and grabbed her shoes. The air in her room was stifling, and she knew she wouldn't be able to get any more sleep even if she tried. She reached under her pillow, feeling for the worn leather handle of her dagger and tucking it into her boot. She stood up and opened the door slowly, checking that no one else was awake. Though she doubted that anyone would be up at this hour, the last thing she wanted was to run into anyone else unprepared. Edelgard had hoped that coming to the academy would've put an end to the nightmares. She had thrown herself into her schoolwork, taking every assignment she could and training with as many people as possible. The training was good for both her stamina and an assessment of her classmates' strengths. The work kept her mind busy during the day, but it was a different story when night fell. 

The night air was soothing, and a breeze tousled her hair as she descended the stairs. She figured that she might as well get a head start on stable duties if she wasn't going to sleep. The stairs ended, and Edelgard was about to cross the doorway past the first floor dormitories when she heard a snorting laugh. 

"Pffhaha! Don't say that in front of anyone else, or you'll get in trouble for sure!" Edelgard had never heard Dorothea laugh like that before—bright and joyful and with notes of unadulterated happiness. Edelgard veered left towards the training hall, planning to loop around the long way to the stables. Whoever Dorothea was talking to wasn't her concern, no matter how curious she was. Just as Edelgard passed the first dormitory she heard another voice, high-pitched and loud.

"Sing another song! It's so boring here when mama is away..."

Edelgard slowed, confused. She backtracked, pressing her back against the nearby corner. She wasn't eavesdropping, she told herself. She would simply see what Dorothea was doing and then walk away. She peeked her head over the corner carefully. Dorothea was sitting on the wooden fishing dock with three children, all of them with their feet in the water and sleeves rolled up, talking animatedly. Dorothea's usual makeup and jewelry were absent, her hair loose and unkempt. Edelgard recognized those children—they were orphans. Rhea often told the monastery children that their parents were simply on a trip or busy with work, but Hubert had confirmed that that wasn't the case. It was disheartening to hear them express their yearning for a return that was never going to happen. 

Dorothea was braiding one of the girls' hair, her expression the softest Edelgard had ever seen. "I can sing the one about the princess! Would that be okay?"

The children clapped their hands in excitement, cheering. "Yes, please!"

Edelgard leaned against the wall and listened. Dorothea cleared her throat, and began. She sang about a princess locked in a tower, about her lover slaying a dragon, about sorrow and love and tragedy. Each note carefully strung together to create the most enchanting melody Edelgard had ever heard. Every word sung with a skilled throatiness, a twist of heartfelt emphasis. She massaged her forehead, her mind whirling. Her memories were flooding back. 

"Presenting, Dorothea Arnault! The new head of the Mittelfrank Opera Company, and our star diva!" Shining lights, a wooden stage, the red velvet curtains swinging open to reveal the performers. An intertwining dance of two people, a whirlwind of flashing swords and twirling ribbons. 

Of course. She was from the opera. It explained her carefully crafted vibrato, her uncanny ability to handle a sword. Her connection to Edelgard, and the image of a spotlight so deeply steeped into her memories in the middle of the dark. 

Dorothea finished her song, the last note ending in a hopeful trill. Edelgard turned on her heel and took her leave. She didn't feel right staying any longer, watching such a vulnerable moment. Walking away from the fishing pond, she stifled a yawn with her hand, and her eyes widened. Her sleepiness had come back to her. 

The next morning, she woke up feeling well rested. The morning hours passed by with nothing of note, and the one time she saw Dorothea, she was surrounded by a gaggle of laughing nobles. When it started getting dark, Edelgard set off for the training hall. She figured that if she wore herself out before she went to bed, she would be able to fall asleep more easily. She was relieved to find the building empty; she wasn't in the mood to be gawked at if her crests activated. She had just gotten herself into a rhythm when she heard one of the doors open, and she paused. The curt clicking of heels greeted her, and there in front of her stood Dorothea, donning a smile that was as guarded as ever. 

"Hey there, Edie. What are you doing up so late?"

Edelgard was unsure of when exactly Dorothea had started calling her by that; the first time she had heard it, she had been mildly flattered, but then quickly saw that Dorothea had a nickname for everyone no matter who they were or where they were from. 

Edelgard turned back around to face the training dummy, shifting her grip on her axe. "I could very well ask you the same thing."

Dorothea laughed, walking over to the weapons rack. "I wasn't the one eavesdropping on other people's conversations..." 

Edelgard whipped her head around to see that Dorothea had picked up a training sword and was looking over her shoulder, her eyes dancing with mischief. 

Edelgard cleared her throat, gathering her composure. "I recognized your voice." She tensed nervously as Dorothea strode down to the training pit. "I saw one of your performances, at the opera. I remember it now." 

Dorothea's face still carried a smile, but her eyes held scrutiny, the kind that was calculating and cautious, that made her feel like she was peering into her mind. "Really now... Well, since we're here...Spar with me?"

Edelgard responded with a nod, and immediately Dorothea lunged. Their weapons met with a clang. Dorothea swung for her waist, and Edelgard twisted out of the way. Dorothea stepped back and sidestepped, her feet moving in rhythm. Edelgard's eyes widened. She recognized those movements. It was the exact same way that performers danced at the opera—the graceful arc of her sword, the way she carried herself with her chin lifted and shoulders back. It might've fared well for her on stage but here in the training hall, it meant that Edelgard could predict every single one of her movements. A jab for her stomach, a swing at her feet. Edelgard parried it all, til she saw an opening. If Edelgard remembered correctly, there was a twirl coming up in the choreography; the two opponents would do a flashy and theatrical spin before their swords clashed again. She suppressed a smile as she saw Dorothea's feet twist, her body turning and hair whirling. Just as she had expected. Edelgard rushed forward, her axe swinging high into the air before landing onto the handle of Dorothea's sword, her hand releasing it with a gasp of shock and falling back onto her elbows. Dorothea pushed her hair out of her face and looked up to see Edelgard pointing the tip of her axe at her throat, her expression resolute. 

"You are a strong opponent, but it was too easy." Edelgard lowered her axe and offered a hand. Dorothea tilted her head to the side, amused. 

"How did you know what I was going to do? It was like you knew my movements before I did..." She took Edelgard's hand, brushing herself off.

"I told you. I remembered your performance at the opera." 

Dorothea's eyes widened in realization, a laugh erupting out of her. "I guess old habits die hard, huh?" Her eyes wandered to Edelgard's arms, and Edelgard was suddenly very aware of her short sleeves, of the rough scars that marked her. Normally, her uniform would've covered it all, but she hadn't bothered to change because she had figured that the training hall would be empty. Now, she regretted not wearing something more concealing. Their gaze met, and both of their eyes darted away at the same time. 

"So, what kept you awake last night?" Dorothea started for the weapons rack, and Edelgard headed after her. 

"I was...restless. I wanted to get ahead of the assignments, so I was planning to feed the horses. Then I saw you, and heard your voice and, well. I wanted to hear you sing." Edelgard met Dorothea's gaze, discovering that her eyes were soft, the slightest crinkle around the corners. 

"I'm happy to hear that my performances left such an impression on you. Come sit with me?" Dorothea had walked past the training hall doors, sitting on the steps and beckoning Edelgard over. Edelgard felt the corners of her mouth being pulled into a slight smile at the invitation, and she joined Dorothea on the steps. 

"I used to look at the stars all the time when I was younger. I'd climb up on some noble house's roof, and make up stories about how one star fell in love with the other and how they chased each other across the ends of the earth. Silly stuff like that. I guess dreams are always far from reality." Dorothea rested her chin on one of her hands, staring up at the sky. Edelgard followed her gaze, looking at the twilight sky, and a star winked at her. "I didn't have the best childhood. Half the time I couldn't afford food, the other half the food was so extravagant my stomach couldn't handle it." She turned over one of her hands, offering her palm to Edelgard. When her hand touched Dorothea's she was shocked by the roughness of it. Smalls nicks and rough patches of skin littered her hands, and before she knew it, Edelgard found herself taking her other hand, turning them over and searching for more scars, becoming more and more disconcerted by the second.

"No one should have to live like this. When I become Emperor, things will change." Edelgard murmured solemnly. When she got to her upper arms, she paused and realized what she was doing. She looked up to see Dorothea's face inches away from her own, her green eyes sparkling with amusement. Edelgard snatched her hands away in embarrassment, looking at the ground and tamping down the urge to smile. 

"Do you think you can sleep tonight?" Dorothea asked gently, a genuine note of concern in her voice. 

Edelgard shrugged half heartedly. "I'm not sure. I can never tell whether or not my dreams will steal my sleep away."

Dorothea opened her arms, and Edelgard looked at her questioningly. "I'll sing for you. I think it'll help us both sleep." 

Fighting the heat that crawled up her neck, Edelgard settled into her arms, her head resting against her shoulder. The comforting scent of lavender enveloped her, and Dorothea ran her fingers through Edelgard's hair slowly. Dorothea's voice came out in a velvety thrum, muted but strong. Under the blinking stars and the twilight sky, Edelgard drifted away to sleep in the arms of one of her most important memories. 

**Author's Note:**

> this took me an inordinate amount of time to finish, holy shit. i may have gotten a little carried away with it though, honestly, but. anything for edelthea  
> also yeah i stole the song from ferdie manuela A support... i cant make up song lyrics for shit sadly  
> This is for the FE3H Exchange on twitter! I'm so relieved I got edelthea honestly


End file.
